Heroes Not Patients! 

(Summer 2016)

Volunteering at Children Cancer Center of Lebanon was a unique rewarding experience in my life. It was one year ago when I heard about the chance to volunteer at CCCL. I grabbed this opportunity, attended the orientation workshop and began volunteering. As my role was to directly impact the survival of children fighting tragic illnesses and provide a family atmosphere full of love, hope, faith and fun. The children and teenagers were of various ages, backgrounds and interests. We performed many activities in the benefit of entertainment which they all seemed to enjoy, to name some: UNO, Babyfoot matches, building puzzles and many others. We watched TV Cartoons, sang music, and colored beautiful pictures together. At their rooms, we chatted, talked and laughed about funny stories that happened in our lives. They were as new sisters and brothers to me, with their cheerful smiles and joyful behavior. I often end my day with reading an interesting story to a child or playing against each other GTA on the computer. I was very sorry to see that children from one to eighteen years should have a chemotherapy every two weeks. One of the children was unable to talk, I became speechless in front of her. I tried to read a story to her and make some movements in my hands and face. With the cooperation of other volunteers, we tried to keep the children blissful by spreading love and fun between the playroom and their rooms. 

     Drawing smiles on heroes’ faces was a way of giving back to life wholeheartedly. Even on my busy days, I wanted to go to CCCL, I thought these children await me, and that attending these two hours would make my day more meaningful. It was like intimate atmosphere full of joy and love. For the kids, I taught them some letters, and I helped them to find each shape with its name. Some games are tricky and need logic, so we tried to solve them together, keeping them away from their atmosphere. Moreover, it was important to the kids to play or do an activity with them, instead of spending time playing on their IPads or smartphones. This will help them in fostering their communication skills and make their learning process more interactive. With respect to the parents, they were very cooperative and happy to have unpaid volunteers playing with their children. Talking with them was sometimes painful. It was hard to see their children in these situations, and coming every two weeks for chemotherapy will make their life tedious and routine. In the end, it is a phase that a person involuntary passes through and later on, mostly, overcomes it. 

      This volunteering experience taught me countless of useful things that have absolutely benefited me at a personal level. I have learned that the world isn’t centered on my needs and difficulties. These heroes were in a miserable situation, but they were stronger than me. They taught me the real meaning of hope and faith, and inspired me to be ready for any problem I might face in the future. Their enlightened heart embroidered the frustrated illness with colorful threads. Every hero has something special, a unique skill or smart way of thinking. On the other side, I have learned how to behave at a medical center, how to respect patients and how to follow rules and regulations. I have developed stronger social communication skills and get a high sense of responsibility to help people with different cultures, regions and backgrounds. Moreover, I became knowledgeable about cancer and its treatments. In short, it is a changing experience that I encourage everyone who wants to relish his free time to go through it. A word of encouragement or a listening ear can make a difference to others and things received dwarfs those given. 

Heroes Not Patients! 

(Summer 2016)

Volunteering at Children Cancer Center of Lebanon was a unique rewarding experience in my life. It was one year ago when I heard about the chance to volunteer at CCCL. I grabbed this opportunity, attended the orientation workshop and began volunteering. As my role was to directly impact the survival of children fighting tragic illnesses and provide a family atmosphere full of love, hope, faith and fun. The children and teenagers were of various ages, backgrounds and interests. We performed many activities in the benefit of entertainment which they all seemed to enjoy, to name some: UNO, Babyfoot matches, building puzzles and many others. We watched TV Cartoons, sang music, and colored beautiful pictures together. At their rooms, we chatted, talked and laughed about funny stories that happened in our lives. They were as new sisters and brothers to me, with their cheerful smiles and joyful behavior. I often end my day with reading an interesting story to a child or playing against each other GTA on the computer. I was very sorry to see that children from one to eighteen years should have a chemotherapy every two weeks. One of the children was unable to talk, I became speechless in front of her. I tried to read a story to her and make some movements in my hands and face. With the cooperation of other volunteers, we tried to keep the children blissful by spreading love and fun between the playroom and their rooms. 

     Drawing smiles on heroes’ faces was a way of giving back to life wholeheartedly. Even on my busy days, I wanted to go to CCCL, I thought these children await me, and that attending these two hours would make my day more meaningful. It was like intimate atmosphere full of joy and love. For the kids, I taught them some letters, and I helped them to find each shape with its name. Some games are tricky and need logic, so we tried to solve them together, keeping them away from their atmosphere. Moreover, it was important to the kids to play or do an activity with them, instead of spending time playing on their IPads or smartphones. This will help them in fostering their communication skills and make their learning process more interactive. With respect to the parents, they were very cooperative and happy to have unpaid volunteers playing with their children. Talking with them was sometimes painful. It was hard to see their children in these situations, and coming every two weeks for chemotherapy will make their life tedious and routine. In the end, it is a phase that a person involuntary passes through and later on, mostly, overcomes it. 

      This volunteering experience taught me countless of useful things that have absolutely benefited me at a personal level. I have learned that the world isn’t centered on my needs and difficulties. These heroes were in a miserable situation, but they were stronger than me. They taught me the real meaning of hope and faith, and inspired me to be ready for any problem I might face in the future. Their enlightened heart embroidered the frustrated illness with colorful threads. Every hero has something special, a unique skill or smart way of thinking. On the other side, I have learned how to behave at a medical center, how to respect patients and how to follow rules and regulations. I have developed stronger social communication skills and get a high sense of responsibility to help people with different cultures, regions and backgrounds. Moreover, I became knowledgeable about cancer and its treatments. In short, it is a changing experience that I encourage everyone who wants to relish his free time to go through it. A word of encouragement or a listening ear can make a difference to others and things received dwarfs those given.